Where do ideas for new stories . . .

 So, where do ideas for new stories come from? 

My historical fiction series began with a college class called The Economic History of Great Britain. Sounds pretty uninspiring, right? My first day, the room was quite crowded with about 70 students. I found a seat toward the back and by the door (my habit: Always sit as close as possible to the exit). 

The teacher marched in, looked at all the students, zoomed in on me, and said: "Why are you here, taking up the spot of a male who will need this class to become a wage earner and head of a family?" Yes, I was the only female in the class, working on a double major, English and History. And, yes, I successfully completed the class, earning an "A". 

That class focused on the Industrial Revolution and the ways the lives of simple farmers were transformed. Landowners evicted these hard-working families, replacing them with sheep as the wool suddenly had become a profitable product, very much needed for the new factories. 

Standing Stones, set in 1840s Scotland, introduced the fate of one such family. I'm very pleased to report that Standing Stones now has over 1,000 reviews and led me to write 3 more stories based on the McDonnell family and their adventures in Scotland, Australia, and Canada.

So, stories can be inspired by external events, books read, or even a visit to a museum . . . .

A few years back, we spent a month in France, independently traveling. One special day, we visited the Musée de Cluny in Paris to see those very famous six lion and unicorn tapestries, woven sometime around 1500. Magnificently detailed, each tapestry illustrated one of the five senses, with the sixth tapestry a mystery, named To My Only Desire (roughly translated). 

The writerly part of me asked, "What if?" What if there were a seventh tapestry, hidden for hundreds of years? And so began my story, The Seventh Tapestry, my first art crime mystery.

Stop back by later to find out how twice, now, a vivid dream has awakened me -- and inspired a story!

Hope you enjoyed Valentine's Day -- or, as my daughter would ask, Did you celebrate Cheap Chocolate Day on February 15th?

IWSG: Running like a rabbit . . .

I'm late. I'm late! Just like that rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, down the rabbit hole I go, working my way through a to-do list that's way too long! Including a special writers' Zoom meeting on Wednesday that I missed entirely. Sigh.

For February 5, the Insecure Writer's Support Group challenges writers to answer this question:

Is there a story or book you've written you want to/wish you could go back and change?

The short answer is no. I did have a story that I set aside to finish Unleashed Pursuit. That side trip into the world of a runaway female cop, chased by bad guys and good guys, popped out into the world early January, 2025. Telling this story was a lot of fun, and feedback from readers has been positive. Check it out . . . and as indie writers say, consider leaving a review?  Go HERE.

So, happily, I'm now back at work -- and writing! -- on Sandra and Neil's Honeymoon in Egypt, a follow-up art crime mystery to The Seventh Tapestry. Would you be surprised to learn that Sandra and Neil discover artifacts have been stolen from that brand new Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza? 

Typically, it takes me about 2-3 years to write a story. I'm trying to apply 1) outlining, 2) deadlines, and 3) a daily word count to finish Honeymoon (currently at 34K) by December 2025. Of course, it does help that we visited Egypt a few years back. I still remember touching the pyramids at Giza and walking underneath one of those pyramids.

May you have a good month, whether writing and/or reading! 

Despite continued snow and winter that's longer than it should be, we will persevere! Right?

Consider visiting the awesome co-hosts for the February 5 posting of the IWSG: Joylene Nowell Butler, Louise Barbour, and Tyrean Martinson.  Say hello, leave a comment, and celebrate each day!